Pipe gripping and supporting device



Sept. 20, 1927. 1,642,832 W. F. TRAVES PIPE GRIPPING' AND SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 50, 1926 Z-Sheets-Sheet l I l ,i/Z I i M FIG. 2.

INVENTOR. n. f 7741 6;

W. F. TRAVES PIPE GRIPPING AND SUPPORTING- DEV-ICE Sept. 20, 1927. 1,642,832

Filed Auz- 50, 1926 2 Sheets-Shet 2 FIG. 5.

INVENTOR. 11'' 77a res A TTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 20,1927. 1,642,832

* mitten STATES PATE T OFFICE.

WEBSTER F. TRAVES, OF OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOB TO THE GUIBERSON CORPORATION, 01? DALLAS, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PIPE enrrrrne AND surronrrno nnvron.

Application filed August so, 1326. Serial 110,132,425. This invention relates to new and useful Fig. 6 is a plan view of the spider shown improvements in pipe gripping and support- 111 3. a I 1 d i It is to be understood that my invention The object of the invention is to provide may be embodied either in an elevator, a

a' device of the character describedin which spider or any other form of pipe gripping the gri ping members are so arranged as to and supporting device for which it is suitfree t e pipe and collars as the pipe is able. pulled upward therethrough, but to autoconstructing the elevator, I employ a matically grip and supportv the pipe if the pair of yokes 10 and 11 respectively. Each 10 latter is dropped or moved downwardly voke has at one side a single lug 12. and at 30 ing means.

while being lifted. the other side a pair of spaced ears 13. The Another object of the invention is to prolugs and ears are arranged on opposite sides vide a gripping and supporting device in so that'the lug of one yoke will enter be which the gripping members are counter tween the ears of the other yoke at the 15 balanced and pivotally suspended, as well as transverse center of the device. The lugs are being mounted to swing bodily toward'and plvoted on shouldered pins 14, which are from the pipe, thus tending to hang parallel screwed into the inner ears and are provided to the pipe and presenting maximum gripwith heads 15 whereby they may be reping surfaces and also to oscillate and grip moved.

20 the collar as well as 'the'pipe, thereby being. The yokes, when pivoted together, constiself-adjusting. I tute' supporting elements connected b A particular object of the" invention is knuckle-joints. By observing Fig. 2, it wil that while the device may be fastened in an be seen that the ears and lugs are directed open position to permit'the pipe and collars downwardly from the ends of the yokes and 25 to be lowered therethrough,it cannot be fas the pivot pins are thus below the plane of. tened in gripping position. a v v h yokes.

A still further object of the invention is Each yoke has a U-shaped recess or socket to provide a device of the knuckle-joint type 16 in which a gripping member 17 is pivcomprising simple parts with an easy openoted on a transverse bolt 18. Each gripping member comprises a toothed concaved A construction designed to carry out the face 19 for gripping the pipe and collars; invention will be hereinafter described, to- A transverse boss 20 extends across the back gether with other features of the invention. of each gripping member near its upper end.

' The invention will be more readily underand is provided with a smooth longitudinal 3r stood from a reading of the following speci bore 21, through which the bolt 18' passes. iication and by reference to the accompany- The bore is offset from the face 19 and is ing drawings, in which an example ofthe considerably abovejthe center of the memi ti i Shown d h in; .be'r, therefore, in order to counter-balance Fig. 1 is a plan view of an'elevator conthe member and cause it to hang with its 4 structed in accordance with my invention, face 19 parallel to the pipe, an enlargement 90. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, 22 is formed at the bottom of the member,

Fig. 3 is a view showing the elevator tip as is best shown in Figs. 2 and 4. By this plied to a pipe and also showing in side arrangement P pp b rs will elevation a spider constructed in accordance hang substantially perpendicular, irrespecith th i ti d ri i id i e, tive ofthe po's1t1onto which the yokes are Fig. 4- is a perspective view' of one of the swung. I p gripping members, j A Where it is desired to grip pipes of Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a liner used smaller diameters, a concavo-convex liner 23 on the gripping member forsmaller pipe, is seated against the face 19 of each grip- 50 and l i ping member. Each liner hasa hook 24 at ed out that the pipe collars will readily pass its upper end (Fig. 5) for engaging over the reduced upper end of said member. A clamp plate 25 at the bottom of the liner extends under the flat bottom of the member and has an angular recess 26 for receiving a locking key 27 whichengages in a similar recess 28 in the member 17. To remove the liners, it is merely necessary to drive out the keys and slip off said liners.

For swinging the yokes to a horizontal plane, for the purpose of spreading the gripping members apart and thus opening the device, I fulcrum a bell-crank hand lever 29 on one of the bolts 18. On the other bolt 18, I pivot one end of a link 30, while the opposite end is pivoted to the lever by a pin 31 at the inter-section of the angular por tions of the latter.

It will be seen that when this lever is swung in a clockwise direction, the yokes will be raised to a substantially horizontal position and the members 17 will thus be spread apart. When this position is reached, the pm 31 will be below the centers of the bolts 18,'whereby the parts will be so. held until the l ver is again swung. When the lever is swung in a counter-clockwise direction. the .vokes will be rocked on their fulcrums and thus swung downward, whereby the gripping members will be adjusted toward each other so as to grip the pipe.

here the device is used as an elevator, I provide the outer central portion of each yoke with a hook 32 and a keeper bolt 33 for receiving and retaining the elevator links 34. Where the device is constructed as a spider, transverse fulcrum bosses 35 are formed on the outer ends of each yokeand extend out-v wardly and downwardly similarly to the lugs and ears. Each boss 35 has a rounded face 36 on which. it is fulcrumed.

It will be seen that the action will be substantially the same whether the yokes are fulcrumed on the links34i or onthe bosses 35. When the lever 29 is swung to the position shown in Fig. 3, the. yokes are supported on their fulcrums and the gripping members 15 are freeto grip the pipe. When the pipe is moved upwardly, the teeth 19 will not bite into the pipe, because owing to the knuckle-joints between the yokes and the fulcrumed supports, both the gripping members and the yokes will move upwardly,

' thus offering no resistance to the upwardly moving pipe. In this connection, it is pointthrough the gripping members and owing to the pivoted mounting of said members, they will grip the collar and the pipe at the same time when the pipe is moved downwardly. It will be seen that should the pipe/be dropped that the fulcrumed yokes and pivoted gripping members will be carried downwardly and toward each other by the pipe, thus automatically gripping the same.

The fulcrumed yokes and pivoted gripping members enable easy and quick handling of the device and permit the pulling of pipe under safe conditions, because the pipe will be automatically gripped if dropped, yet no. resistance is offered to the pulley. Also where the spideris mounted in the cellar, a suitable rope (not shown) may be attached to the lever 29 and the same thus manipulated from the derrick floor. The counter-balanced gripping members will always pre'sentthe teeth of the faces 19 in maximum gripping relation to the pipe and will adjust themselves after a collar passes there-between, or will grip said 001- lar efficiently; By removing the pins 15 and 31, the yokes may be quickly separated and removed or applied to a pipe.

Various changes in the size and shape of the diflerent parts, as wellas modifications and alterations, may be made within the scope ofithe appended claims. I

for engagement with. a fiat supporting surface, the supporting elements being recessed at their inner ends, opposed gripping mem bers'pivotally mounted on said supporting elements and disposed in the recesses thereof, and means for swinging. said supporting elements to relatively open and close the gripping members. v

3. In a pipe gripping and supporting de-v v ce, a pair of ointed elements having unattached supporting fulcrums upon which they are mounted, a pair of gripping members pivoted within said elements and hav-v ing vertical gripping faces, and a lever connected withthe support-ing elements for swinging the same in their fulcrums to spread or contract the gripping members.

4. In a pipe gripping and supporting device, a pairv of horizontally disposed supporting elements mounted torock in vertical arcs and joined together, said clementshaving free fulcrums, and a pair of pipe grip.

ping members pivotally suspended by elements, and having gripping faces for gripping a pipe and its collars said mem-,

here being, mounted to yield m ma movement of the pipe: and to automatically grip the pipe upon a downward move inentof the same. I v

5. In a pipe gripping and supporting device, a pair of horizontally disposed supporting elements mounted to rock in vertical arcs and joined together, said elements having free fulcrums, a pair of pipe gripping mem bers pivotally suspended by said elements and having gripping faces for gripping a pipe and its collars, said members being mounted to yield to an upward movement of the pipe and to automatically grip the pipe upon a downward movement of the same, and means connected with the supporting elements for rocking the same to a predetermined position and fastening them at such position, whereby the gripping members are held out of gripping relation to the pipe and its collars.

6. In a pipe gripping and supporting device, a pair of jointed yokes havin their outer ends free and forming fulcrums, whereby they are supported for swinging in vertical arcs, and a pair of gripping members pivoted in the yokes and automatically swinging said yokes when moved either upwardly or downwardly.

7 In a pipe gripping and supporting device, a pair of jointed yokes having their outer ends free and forming fulcrums,

. whereby they are supported for swinging in vertical arcs, a pair of gripping members pivoted in the yokes and automatically swinging said yokes when moved either upwardly or downwardly, and means for fastening said yokes against swinging by said gripping members.

8. In a pipe gripping and support-ing device, a pair of supporting yokes having free fulcrums at their outer ends andhinged together at their inner ends, and gripping members pivotally suspended in the yokes and having opposed vertical gripping faces.

9. In a pipe gripping and supporting device, a pair of supporting yokes having free fulcrums at their outer ends and hinged together at their inner ends, and gripping members pivotally suspended in theyokes and having opposed vertical gripping faces, said gripping members being counter-balanced, whereby their vertical gripping faces are self-adjusting to a pipe and its collars and are presented substantially parallel to the pipe. 1

10. As a sub-combination in a pipe gripping and supporting device, a gripping member having a pivotal supporting element above its center and a counter-balancing enlargement below its center.

11. As a sub-combination in a pipe gripping and supporting device, a gripping member having a pivotal supporting ele ment above its center and a counter-balancing enlargement below its center, a liner having a gripping face end engaged with the upper end of the member and having a clamp plate extending under the member, and a key for fastening the liner to the member. I I

12. In a pipe gripping and supporting device, a pair of supporting yokes hinged together at their inner ends and having free fulcrum supports at their outer ends, pivot bolts mounted transversely in the yokes, and gripping members within the yokes suspended on said bolts and having vertical gripping faces.

13. In a pipe gripping and supporting device, a pair of supporting yokes hinged together at their inner ends and having free fulcrum supports at their outer ends, pivot bolts mounted transversely in the yokes, gripping members within the yokes sus pended on said bolts and having vertical gripping faces, and elevator hooks on said yokes outwardly of the bolts.

14. In a pipe gripping and supporting device a pair of supporting yokes hinged to.- gether at their inner ends and having fulcrum supports at their outer ends, pivot bolts mounted transversely in the yokes, grippingmembers within the yokes suspended on said bolts and having vertical gripping faces, elevator hooks on said yokes outwardly of the bolts, a link connected to one of the bolts,

and a hand lever connected to the other bolt and pivoted to the lever 15. In a pipe gripping and supporting device, a pair of yokes having free fulcrums at their outer ends and sockets at their inner ends, down-turned lugs and ears on the inner ends of the yokes on each side of the sockets of the yokes, pins pivotally connecting said lugs and ears, transverse bolts mounted in the yokes and extending across the sockets thereof, and gripping members pivoted on said bolts in the sockets of the yokes and having vertical gripping faces.

16. In a pipe gripping and supporting device, a pair of yokes having free fulcrums at their outer ends and sockets at their inner ends, down-turned lugs and ears on the inner ends of the yokes on each side of the sockets of the yokes, pins pivotally connecting said lugs and ears, transverse bolts mounted in the yokes and ext-ending across the sockets thereof, and gripping members pivoted on said bolts in the sockets of the yokes and having vertical gripping faces, the said gripping members having counter-balancing portions below said bolts, whereby their faces are held perpendicular to the pipe and said members are self-adjusting.

17. In a pipe gripping and supporting device, a pair of yokes having fulcrums at their outer ends and sockets at their inner ends, down-turned lugs and ears on the inner ends of the yokes on each side of the sockets of the yokes, pins pivotally connecting said' held perpendicular to the pipe end said; lugs and ears, transverse bolts mounted in members are self-adjusting, a bell crank le 10 theyokes and extending across the sockets ver pivoted on one-of the bolts, and 21 "link thereof, gripping members pivoted on said pivoted. on the other bolt and also pivoted to bolts in the sockets of the yokes and having the lever. I p V r vertical gripping faces, the said gripping In testimony whereof I'afli m signature. members having counter-balancing portions 1 v j below said bolts, whereby their facesv are WEBSTER R TRAVES; 

